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Caliraya Dam is an embankment dam located in the town of Lumban, Laguna, in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range of the Philippines. The reservoir created by the dam, Lake Caliraya, initially supplied one of the oldest hydroelectric plants in the Philippines, and later became a popular recreational area for numerous water sports and fishing. The dam's construction was started in 1939 under the supervision of the architecture firm of Pedro Siochi and a plant was operated in 1942.JCMiras (January 9, 2008). "First and Oldest (Hydroelectric) Power Plants in the Philippines" . JCMiras.net_02. Retrieved on 2011-03-02.
Lake Caliraya was later connected with another man-made lake, Lumot Lake, to provide more water through a underground penstock.. Philippine Sportfishing. Retrieved on February 23, 2011. Later still the dam and lake were used as the upper reservoir for the Kalayaan Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric plant located west of Lake Caliraya, with Laguna de Bay as the lower reservoir.
The constructive features of the initial study were as follows: By the construction of a dam on the river, the water would be diverted into a canal long to the brow of the bluff, where it would fall through to the powerhouse near the Lumbang River. The power would then be transmitted to Manila, a distance of . To meet the dry-season flow and conserve the flood waters, storage reservoirs would be established on the river at suitable points. This development could be carried out at comparatively small cost and would not require exceptional engineering features. The capacity of the plant could also be increased by diverting the Lumot River to the Caliraya. However, the feasibility of the development was still in question because of storage problems. The theoretical horsepower available at the first proposed power house, with a moderate storage, was estimated at only about 6,000, which could be increased for about one-half of the year during the rainy season.
During World War II, the dam was sabotaged by retreating combined American and Filipino soldiers to prevent its use by invading Japanese who rebuilt it, but later sabotaged it themselves as their own defeat approached.
On June 1, 1948, Republic Act No. 216 was passed approving expenditures for the construction of several hydroelectric dams in the Philippines; the act included the diversion of the Lumot River via Lumot Dam to Caliraya Lake for more available water and to raise the height of Caliraya Dam. "Republic Act no. 216". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. Retrieved on March 6, 2011. The dam was rebuilt, raised and inaugurated in 1953 by the (NAPOCOR).
In 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines bestowed upon Casey the honorary title of "the father of water power development in the Philippines, for his pioneering endeavors in the country.
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